DOCSLIB.ORG

Diets of Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins from the U. S. Mid

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Diets of Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins from the U. S. Mid MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, 20(3):527-545 (July 2004) 0 2004 by the Society for Marine Mammalogy DIETS OF COASTAL BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS FROM THE U.S. MID-ATLANTIC COAST DIFFER BY HABITAT DAMONP. GANNON' DANIELLEM. WAPLES Duke University Marine Laboratory, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, 135 Duke Marine Lab Road, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516, U.S.A. E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT We recorded 31 species in the stomachs of 146 coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatu) from North Carolina, U.S.A. Sciaenid fishes were the most common prey (frequency of occurrence = 95%). By mass, Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) dominated the diet of dolphins that stranded inside estuaries, whereas weakfish (Cynosicon regalis) was most important for dolphins in the ocean. Inshore squid (Loligo sp.) was eaten commonly by dolphins in the ocean, but not by those in the estuaries. There was no significant pattern in prey size associated with dolphin demography, but the proportion of the diet represented by croaker was higher for males than for females, and mature dolphins ate more croaker than did juveniles. Dietary differences between dolphins that stranded in the estuaries and those that stranded on ocean beaches support the hypothesis that some members of the population inhabit the ocean primarily while others reside principally in estuaries. The overwhelming majority of prey were soniferous species (75% of numerical abundance), which is consistent with the hypothesis that bottlenose dolphins use passive listening to locate noise-making fishes. However, spatiotemporal patterns in consumption of Sciaenid fishes did not coincide with their spawning, which is when peak sound production is thought to occur. Key words: coastal bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops trzncatus, food habits, feeding, foraging ecology, Sciaenidae, soniferous fishes, mid-Atlantic, estuary, coastal ocean. In this paper we quantify the food habits of coastal bottlenose dolphins, Tursiups truncatus, in the waters off the mid-Atlantic coast of the U.S. using traditional stomach content analysis techniques. Previous analyses of bottlenose dolphin food habits in this region were based on small samples, and none investigated differences in feeding habits associated with season, habitat, sex, or age. True (1885) identified common gurnard (Prionutus carolinus) in the stomachs of two dolphins taken by the dolphin fishery in Cape May, New Jersey. Fishermen from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, told Townsend (1914) that the bottlenose dolphins in that region Current address: Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236, U.S.A. 527 5 28 MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, VOL. 20, NO. 3, 2004 primarily ate seatrout (Cynoscion spp.). Mead and Potter (1990) conducted the most thorough investigation of bottlenose dolphin food habits in the mid-Atlantic region, using a sample of 64 dolphins stranded on the coasts of North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. These authors calculated frequencies of prey occurrence and numerical abundance, both of which require large sample sizes, and neither accounts for prey mass (Hyslop 1980). The most important prey found by Mead and Potter (1990) included spot (Leiostomus xantburzls), croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), seatrouts, silver perch (Bairdiella cbtysoura), hake (Uropbycis sp.), and squid (Loligo sp.). We investigated variation in food habits with respect to habitat (coastal ocean us. estuary), season, and demography. In North Carolina bottlenose dolphins move between the ocean and the estuaries.* However, there is evidence from photographic identification and the presence of ectoparasites that some dolphins occupy estuaries primarily, while others stay mainly in the ocean. Some authors hypothesize that pseudostalked barnacles Xenobalanus sp., which attach to the appendages of dolphins, can be used as an indicator of ocean residence (Caldwell and Caldwell 1972, Barros 1993). If some coastal dolphins are primarily oceanic while others are primarily estuarine, one might expect to find differences between the two groups with regard to food habits. We tested the hypothesis that the dolphin diet changes seasonally because many of the species eaten by bottlenose dolphins undergo seasonal migrations. Faced with migrating prey, dolphins can either follow their prey or switch to a different set of prey. Developing the skills to locate and capture prey probably requires an extended period of learning for young bottlenose dolphins. Mann and Smuts (1999) noted that young dolphins begin “play snacking” behavior as early as three weeks of age with objects such as seagrass. Play snacking with fish begins at about week seven. While developing hunting skills, young dolphins may eat prey that are less elusive than those species normally eaten by older dolphins. Smith and Read (1992) found that harbor porpoise (Pbocoena pbocoena) calves eat euphausiids (MeganyctiFbanes norvegica), which are rare in the diets of adult porpoises. Young franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei) feed on shrimp, whereas adults eat fishes and cephalopods (Rodriguez et al. 2002). Mead and Potter (1990) also concluded that weaning is gradual in bottlenose dolphins, which may reflect the need for young dolphins to augment energy intake from solid food with that of their mother’s milk until they have become proficient at capturing prey. Lactating female mammals typically have the highest energy demands of any demographic group within their species and often have nutrient requirements that differ from other members of their species (e.g., Clutton-Brock et al. 1982, Close et al. 1985, Perez and Mooney 1986). In a comparison of the diets of pregnant and lactating spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata), Bernard and Hohn (1989) found that lactating spotted dolphins ate more food and increased the proportion of fish relative to squid in their diet. Robertson and Chivers (1997) also found that female spotted dolphins increased their food consumption during lactation. However, Robertson and Chivers (1997) came to the opposite conclusion regarding the relative propor- tions of squid and fish in the diets of lactating females: lactating females increased the amount of squid in their diet. Cockcroft and Ross (1990) found dietary dif- ferences among life history stages of bottlenose dolphins in South Africa. Recently, Kastelein et al. (2002) documented that captive bottlenose dolphins increased their ’ Personal communication from Keith Rittmaster, North Carolina Maratime Museum, 3 15 Front Street., Beaufort, NC 28516, June 2003. GANNON AND WAPLES: BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN DIET 529 consumption of food little during gestation but that their consumption increased by 58%-97% during lactation. METHODS We examined the stomach contents of coastal bottlenose dolphins that died of natural causes or that were captured accidentally by commercial fisheries in the estuaries and ocean waters of North Carolina from 1993 to 2001. Two ecotypes of ?: truncatus are recognized on the east coast of the U.S.: a nearshore form known as the “coastal” ecotype and a pelagic form known as the “offshore”ecotype (see Hersh and Duffield 1990; Mead and Potter 1990, 1995; Torres et al. 2003). We restricted our analyses to the coastal form. Offshore dolphins are not thought to come any closer to shore than 7.5 km and coastal dolphins are found from the estuaries out to a distance of 34 km from shore (Torres et al. 2003). We used a hierarchical approach to distinguish between members of the two ecotypes. Dolphin stomachs containing prey known to inhabit only waters greater than 25 m were excluded from analysis (Mead and Potter 1995). The remaining dolphins were categorized on the basis of parasite assemblages. Coastal dolphins were identified by the presence of the trematode Braunina in pyloric and main stomach chambers and offshore dolphins were recognized by the cestodes Pbyllobotbrium and Monorbygma and by the nematode Crassicauda (Mead and Potter 1990, 1995). Categorization of some dolphins was corroborated independently by sighting histories and capture locations. Photo- graphic sighting data of individual dolphins (n = 10) were collected by the contributors to the Mid-Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Cata10g.~These ten dolphins were only sighted within 7.5 km of shore and were, therefore, assumed to be of the coastal ecotype. The location of capture was known for seven dolphins; five were captured in pelagic fisheries (>34 km from shore: offshore ecotype) and two were taken in coastal fisheries (c7.5 km from shore: coastal ecotype). The stomach of each dolphin was extracted in its entirety (including esophagus and duodenal ampulla) during necropsies conducted either in the field or in the laboratory. In the lab, the contents of all three stomach chambers were removed for analysis. Intact prey were removed first, then the remaining stomach contents were put in a shallow tray. We topped the tray off with water, gently agitated it, and then decanted floating tissue into a 1-mm sieve. We repeated this process until all floating tissue was separated from the dense bones. We retained the skeletal parts that had sunken to the bottom of the tray and then inspected the contents of the sieve to make sure no hard parts, such as small otoliths, had adhered to the loose flesh that had been poured off. Structures used to identify prey included: sagittal otoliths, dentary bones, and skulls of teleosts; lower mandibles from cephalopods; and exoskeletons from crustaceans. Prey items were identified with
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico And
    A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast Fishes THIRD EDITION GSMFC No. 300 NOVEMBER 2020 i Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Commissioners and Proxies ALABAMA Senator R.L. “Bret” Allain, II Chris Blankenship, Commissioner State Senator District 21 Alabama Department of Conservation Franklin, Louisiana and Natural Resources John Roussel Montgomery, Alabama Zachary, Louisiana Representative Chris Pringle Mobile, Alabama MISSISSIPPI Chris Nelson Joe Spraggins, Executive Director Bon Secour Fisheries, Inc. Mississippi Department of Marine Bon Secour, Alabama Resources Biloxi, Mississippi FLORIDA Read Hendon Eric Sutton, Executive Director USM/Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Florida Fish and Wildlife Ocean Springs, Mississippi Conservation Commission Tallahassee, Florida TEXAS Representative Jay Trumbull Carter Smith, Executive Director Tallahassee, Florida Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Austin, Texas LOUISIANA Doug Boyd Jack Montoucet, Secretary Boerne, Texas Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Baton Rouge, Louisiana GSMFC Staff ASMFC Staff Mr. David M. Donaldson Mr. Bob Beal Executive Director Executive Director Mr. Steven J. VanderKooy Mr. Jeffrey Kipp IJF Program Coordinator Stock Assessment Scientist Ms. Debora McIntyre Dr. Kristen Anstead IJF Staff Assistant Fisheries Scientist ii A Practical Handbook for Determining the Ages of Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Coast Fishes Third Edition Edited by Steve VanderKooy Jessica Carroll Scott Elzey Jessica Gilmore Jeffrey Kipp Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission 2404 Government St Ocean Springs, MS 39564 and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 1050 N. Highland Street Suite 200 A-N Arlington, VA 22201 Publication Number 300 November 2020 A publication of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award Number NA15NMF4070076 and NA15NMF4720399.
    [Show full text]
  • Go Fish! Lesson Plan
    NYSDEC Region 1 Freshwater Fisheries I FISH NY Program Go Fish! Grade Level(s): 3-5 NYS Learning Standards Time: 30 - 45 minutes Core Curriculum MST Group Size: 20-35 Standard 4: Living Environment Students will: understand and apply scientific Summary concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to This lesson introduces students to the fish the physical setting and living environment and families indigenous to New York State by recognize the historical development of ideas in playing I FISH NY’s card game, “Go science. Fish”. Students will also learn about the • Key Idea 1: Living things are both classification system and the external similar to and different from each other anatomy features of fish. and nonliving things. Objectives • Key Idea 2: Organisms inherit genetic • Students will be able to identify information in a variety of ways that basic external anatomy of fish and result in continuity of structure and the function of each part function between parents and offspring. • Students will be able to explain • Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and why it is important to be able to species change over time. tell fish apart • Students will be able to name several different families of fish indigenous to New York Materials • Freshwater or Saltwater Fish models/picture • Lemon Fish worksheet • I FISH NY Go Fish cards Vocabulary • Anal Fin- last bottom fin on a fish located near the anal opening; used in balance and steering • Caudal/Tail Fin- fin on end of fish; used to propel the fish • Dorsal Fin- top or backside fin on a fish;
    [Show full text]
  • Comparative Ecology of the Parasites of the Spot, Leiostomus Xanthurus
    W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1989 Comparative ecology of the parasites of the spot, Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede, and the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus Linnaeus (Sciaenidae), in the Cape Hatteras region Dennis A. Thoney College of William and Mary - Virginia Institute of Marine Science Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Thoney, Dennis A., "Comparative ecology of the parasites of the spot, Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede, and the Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus Linnaeus (Sciaenidae), in the Cape Hatteras region" (1989). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539616876. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.25773/v5-j3p5-0627 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS The most advanced technology has been used to photo­ graph and reproduce this manuscript from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted.
    [Show full text]
  • Candidate Species for Florida Aquaculture: Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus1
    FA 148 Candidate Species for Florida Aquaculture: Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias undulatus1 R. LeRoy Creswell, Cortney L. Ohs, and Christian L. Miller2 Atlantic Croaker Geographic Distribution and Habitat The Atlantic croaker is known to occur in the northern and eastern parts of the Gulf of Mexico, along the Atlantic coast of the United States from south Florida to Massachusetts, in the Greater Antilles, and along the South American Atlantic Figure 1. Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulatus Credits: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United coast from Surinam to Argentina. Its U.S. fishing Nations 1978 grounds extend from the Rio Grande to Tampa Bay in the Gulf of Mexico and from northern Florida to General Description Cape Hatteras on the Atlantic coast. In Florida, Atlantic croaker are seldom found south of Tampa The Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus Bay or the Indian River Lagoon on the Atlantic coast (Figure 1), is a member of the family Sciaenidae, the (Lankford and Targett 1994). Croaker are found over drum family. This medium-sized fish is slightly mud and sandy mud bottoms in coastal waters to elongate, moderately compressed, and silvery in color about 1,000 meter depth and in estuaries where the with a pinkish cast; the back and upper sides are nursery and feeding grounds are located. grayish with black spots forming irregular, oblique lines above the lateral line. The dorsal fin has small Natural History black dots and a black edge; other fins are pale to yellowish. The chin has 3 to 5 pairs of barbels along Atlantic croaker are medium-sized members of the inner edge of the lower jaw.
    [Show full text]
  • Drum and Croaker (Family Sciaenidae) Diversity in North Carolina
    Drum and Croaker (Family Sciaenidae) Diversity in North Carolina The waters along and off the coast are where you will find 18 of the 19 species within the Family Sciaenidae (Table 1) known from North Carolina. Until recently, the 19th species and the only truly freshwater species in this family, Freshwater Drum, was found approximately 420 miles WNW from Cape Hatteras in the French Broad River near Hot Springs. Table 1. Species of drums and croakers found in or along the coast of North Carolina. Scientific Name/ Scientific Name/ American Fisheries Society Accepted Common Name American Fisheries Society Accepted Common Name Aplodinotus grunniens – Freshwater Drum Menticirrhus saxatilis – Northern Kingfish Bairdiella chrysoura – Silver Perch Micropogonias undulatus – Atlantic Croaker Cynoscion nebulosus – Spotted Seatrout Pareques acuminatus – High-hat Cynoscion nothus – Silver Seatrout Pareques iwamotoi – Blackbar Drum Cynoscion regalis – Weakfish Pareques umbrosus – Cubbyu Equetus lanceolatus – Jackknife-fish Pogonias cromis – Black Drum Larimus fasciatus – Banded Drum Sciaenops ocellatus – Red Drum Leiostomus xanthurus – Spot Stellifer lanceolatus – Star Drum Menticirrhus americanus – Southern Kingfish Umbrina coroides – Sand Drum Menticirrhus littoralis – Gulf Kingfish With so many species historically so well-known to recreational and commercial fishermen, to lay people, and their availability in seafood markets, it is not surprising that these 19 species are known by many local and vernacular names. Skimming through the ETYFish Project
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial and Temporal Resource Partitioning
    TEXAS J. OF SCI. 64(1):0-00 FEBRUARY, 2012 (PUBLISHED JUNE 2015) HABITAT USE AND DIETS OF JUVENILE SPOT (LEIOSTOMUS XANTHURUS) AND ATLANTIC CROAKER (MICROPOGONIAS UNDULATUS) IN A SMALL ESTUARY AT MAD ISLAND MARSH, TEXAS Senol Akin1, 2 and Kirk O. Winemiller1 1Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2258 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-2258 2 Current address: Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries, Gaziosmanpasa University, 60240, Tokat, Turkey ABSTRACT.–Spatial and temporal variation in feeding of immature stages (10-130 mm standard length) of two sciaenids, spot (Leiostomus xanthurus) and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), was investigated at Mad Island Marsh on the Texas Gulf coast from March 1998 through August 1999. Periods of peak abundance of each species were different (December for croaker, March for spot). The two species were dissimilar in diet and habitat use along the longitudinal gradient of a small estuary, except for the winter months of both years when postlarvae dominated samples and dietary overlap was high. Low dietary overlap occurred despite the fact that both species consumed mostly benthic organisms (amphipods, gastropods, nematodes, polychaetes), pelagic copepods, and detritus. Overall, spot consumed greater proportions of copepods, nematodes and chironomid larvae, and croakers had broader diets that included most of the abundant invertebrates in the habitat (e.g., amphipods, shrimp, blue crabs) plus smaller percentages of fish. Regardless of season and body size, the spot diet was dominated by copepods and nematodes. The croaker had a more pronounced ontogenetic diet shift, with the smallest size classes (10-25 mm) consuming mostly copepods, and larger juveniles having diets dominated by amphipods, polychaete worms, shrimp, crabs, and fish.
    [Show full text]
  • Diet Analysis of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (<I>Tursiops Truncatus</I
    Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations Biological Sciences Spring 2020 Diet Analysis of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Virginia Kristen Marie Volker Old Dominion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds Part of the Biology Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Marine Biology Commons Recommended Citation Volker, Kristen M.. "Diet Analysis of Stranded Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Virginia" (2020). Master of Science (MS), Thesis, Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/6bas-rj82 https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_etds/113 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Biological Sciences at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DIET ANALYSIS OF STRANDED BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN VIRGINIA by Kristen Marie Volker B.S. December 2008, University of New England A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE BIOLOGY OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY MAY 2020 Approved by: Ian Bartol (Director) Holly Gaff (Member) Kent Carpenter (Member) Damon Gannon (Member) ABSTRACT DIET ANALYSIS OF STRANDED BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS) IN VIRGINIA Kristen Marie Volker Old Dominion University, 2020 Director: Dr. Ian Bartol This study describes the diet of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in Virginia via stomach content analysis and considers factors such as proportion of numerical abundance and reconstructed mass, frequency of occurrence, average reconstructed prey size, prey diversity and quantity, and otolith degradation code.
    [Show full text]
  • Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias Undulatus Contributor: J
    Atlantic Croaker Micropogonias undulatus Contributor: J. David Whitaker DESCRIPTION Taxonomy and Basic Description The Atlantic croaker is the only representative of the genus in the western North Atlantic. This species gets its name from the deep By Diane Rome Peebles from the Florida Division of Marine Resources Web Site. croaking sounds created by muscular action on the air bladder. It is one of 23 members of the family Sciaenidae found along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts (Mercer 1987). The species has a typical fusiform shape, although it is somewhat vertically compressed. The fish is silvery overall with a faint pinkish-bronze cast. The back and upper sides are grayish, with brassy or brown spots forming wavy lines on the side (Manooch 1988). The gill cover has three to five prominent spines and there are three to five small chin barbels. It has a slightly convex caudal fin. Atlantic croaker south of Cape Hatteras reach maturity after one year at lengths of 140 to 180 mm (5.5 to 7 inches) and are thought to not survive longer than one or two years (Diaz and Onuf 1985). North of Cape Hatteras, the fish matures a year later at lengths greater than 200 mm (8 inches) and individuals may live several years. The Atlantic croaker reaches a maximum length of 500 mm (20 inches) (Hildebrand and Schroeder 1927). Catches of large Atlantic croaker appear to be relatively common on Chesapeake Bay, but large individuals of Atlantic croaker are rare in South Carolina. Bearden (1964) speculated that small croaker from South Carolina may migrate north, but limited tagging studies could not corroborate that assertion.
    [Show full text]
  • November 7, 2019 Council Attendees: Joe Rizzo Eleanor Bochenek Sergio Radossi John Maxwell Bob Rush Dick Herb Barney Hollinger
    Marine Fisheries Council Meeting November 7, 2019 Council Attendees: Joe Rizzo Eleanor Bochenek Sergio Radossi John Maxwell Bob Rush Dick Herb Barney Hollinger Council Absentees: None DEP and Division of Fish and Wildlife Attendees: Jeff Brust, Chief, Bureau of Marine Fisheries (BMF) Joe Cimino, Administrator, Marine Fisheries Administration (MFA) Mike Celestino, Research Scientist, MFA Heather Corbett, Supervising Biologist, BMF Brendan Harrison, Assistant Biologist, BMF Matt Heyl, Assistant Biologist, BMF Timothy Daniels, Assistant Biologist, BMF Laura Versaggi, Fishery Specialist, ACCSP Linda Barry, Research Scientist, MFA Brian Neilan, Principal Biologist, BMF Jeff Normant, Supervising Biologist, BSF Chris Petruccelli, Conservation Officer, Bureau of Law Enforcement (BLE) Russ Babb, Chief, Bureau of Shellfisheries (BSF) The meeting was called to order. Notice of the Marine Fisheries Council (Council) meeting was filed with the Secretary of State on October 10, 2019. Acting Chairman Herb began the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Approval of Minutes Meeting minutes from the September 5th meeting of the Council were approved without revision. Motion made by Mr. Radossi and seconded by Mr. Maxwell. Motion unanimously carried. 1. Enforcement Report – C. Petruccelli On August 31st, 2019, CPO Woerner was patrolling the Sandy Hook area when he observed individuals wading in an area where people frequently harvest clams from condemned waters. After thorough observation, CPO Woerner ended up apprehending three groups of individuals, including juveniles, harvesting clams in prohibited water. CPO Woerner seized several hundred hard clams and issued summonses for harvesting shellfish without a license and for harvesting shellfish from the prohibited waters of Sandy Hook Bay. In the late evening hours of September 13th into the early morning hours of September 14th, CPOs Moscatiello and Woerner were patrolling the area around the train tracks that run through Brielle and Point Pleasant Beach.
    [Show full text]
  • Atlantic Croaker
    CHAPTER 2: ATLANTIC CROAKER Populated with Habitat Section from Amendment I to the ISFMP (ASMFC 2005) Section I. General Description of Habitat Atlantic croaker was described by Petrik et al. (1999) as a habitat generalist. Field surveys of post- settlement croaker in estuarine nursery areas found no significant differences in abundances among SAV, marsh edge, and sandy bottom (Petrik et al. 1999). In a wetland system, Atlantic croaker along the Gulf Coast preferred non-vegetated bottom adjacent to wetlands rather than the marsh itself (Rozas and Zimmerman 2000). In North Carolina, Atlantic croaker have been documented to utilize SAV, wetlands, non-vegetated soft bottom, and to a lesser extent, shell bottom (Street et al. 2005). Juvenile croaker use these habitats for refuge and foraging and as a corridor through the estuary. In North Carolina, Atlantic croaker is one of the dominant juvenile fish species in the estuaries (North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, unpublished data). Because croaker utilizes multiple habitats, the effect of habitat change and condition on fish population is difficult to assess. Part A. Spawning Habitat Geographic and Temporal Patterns of Migration Atlantic croaker spawn predominantly on the continental shelf, at depths ranging from 7 to 81 m (26 to 266 ft), but also in tidal inlets and estuaries (Diaz and Onuf 1985; Able and Fahay 2010). Atlantic croaker have a long spawning season that generally starts in late summer and continues to early spring, with peak reproductive activity occurring in late fall and winter (Diaz and Onuf 1985). In the Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina, spawning begins as early as August and usually peaks in October, whereas peak spawning occurs in November in the Gulf of Mexico (USFWS 1996).
    [Show full text]
  • A Guide to Health Advisories for Eating Fish and Crabs Caught in New Jersey Waters
    2018 Fish Smart, Eat Smart A guide to Health Advisories for Eating Fish and Crabs Caught in New Jersey Waters New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection New Jersey Department of Health Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 1 General Consumption Guidelines .................................................................................................................................. 2 Health Effects from Consumption of Contaminated Fish and Crabs ............................................................................. 2 Preparation and Cooking Methods for Fish and Crabs under Advisory ......................................................................... 3 Federal Advice on Fish Consumption ............................................................................................................................. 4 2018 Fish Consumption Advisory Table…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...5 Map of New Jersey Advisory Waters………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………73 Statewide Water Body Locations …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..74 The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Department of Health can provide more information on the advisories and the health effects of chemical contaminants in the fish. To stay current with advisory updates and to request additional information, please contact the NJDEP, Division of Science,
    [Show full text]
  • If I Catch It, Can I Eat
    This pamphlet will give you information that will help your If I Catch It, family avoid chemicals in fish and eat fish safely. Fish from Connecticut’s waters are a healthy, low-cost source of protein. Can I Eat It? Unfortunately, some fish take up chemicals such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). These chemicals can build up in your body and increase health risks. The developing fetus and young children are most sensitive. Women who eat A Guide to Eating Fish Safely fish containing these chemicals before or during pregnancy or nursing may have 2020 Connecticut Fish Consumption Advisory children who are slow to develop and learn. Long term exposure to PCBs may increase cancer risk. What Does The Fish Consumption Advisory Say? The advisory tells you how often you can safely eat fish from Connecticut’s waters and from a store or restaurant. In many cases, separate advice is given for the High Risk and Low Risk Groups. • You are in the High Risk Group if you are a pregnant woman, a woman who could become pregnant, a nursing mother, or a child under six. • If you do not fit into the High Risk Group, you are in the Low Risk Group. Advice is given for three different types of fish consumption: 1. Statewide FRESHWATER Fish Advisory: Most freshwater fish in Connecticut contain enough mercury to cause some limit to consumption. The statewide freshwater advice is that: • High Risk Group: eat no more than 1 meal per month • Low Risk Group: eat no more than 1 meal per week 2.
    [Show full text]